Presque Isle County: Lighthouses, Shorelines, and Nature Experiences

Presque Isle County combines the expansive shoreline of Lake Huron with distinctive lighthouses, karst landscapes, and diverse trails. Seventy-two miles of shoreline, underground rivers, and sinkholes give the region a character of its own. In addition, there are three lighthouses on Lake Huron, beaches, fossils, and natural areas. When choosing a vacation rental or vacation home, it is therefore worthwhile to determine your preferred focus for the trip early on: maritime history, water, walks, nature observation, or winter activities.

Lighthouses and Maritime History

The lighthouses are among the county’s most defining experiences. Built in 1870, New Presque Isle Light is the tallest lighthouse on the Great Lakes that is open to the public. The restored 1905 Keeper's House serves as a museum of local maritime history and the lives of lighthouse keepers and their families. Those interested in technical details will find a fourth-order Fresnel lens at Forty Mile Point Lighthouse that has been in operation since May 1897.

Forty Mile Point Lighthouse also preserves the pilot house of the steamer Steamer Calcite, a reminder of shipping on the Great Lakes. The ship was built in 1912 and was the first self-unloading steamer on the Great Lakes. Old Presque Isle Lighthouse is one of the oldest surviving lighthouses on the Great Lakes. The grounds at Forty Mile Point Lighthouse Park are open to the public year-round. The lighthouse museum, pilot house, and gift shop are open from the Memorial Day weekend through mid-October, Tuesday through Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Glawe School is also open to the public during this period.

The historical maritime story also includes the former Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum, which presented the history of shipping through uniforms, navigational instruments, and the accounts of former sailors. In addition, the Presque Isle County Historical Museum has been dedicated to preserving and presenting the history of Northeast Michigan since 1954 and displays artifacts from local stores and schools.

Lake Huron, Beaches, and Distinctive Landscapes

Along Lake Huron, Lakeside Park in Rogers City and South Shore Park offer different water-based experiences. Lakeside Park has a swimming beach. Concerts take place at Lakeside Park throughout the summer. Rogers City’s annual Nautical Festival is also held at Lakeside Park. South Shore Park has a 0.5-mile swimming beach and a fossil park. P.H. Hoeft State Park complements this selection with one mile of sandy shoreline on Lake Huron.

The landscape is equally diverse inland and around the lakes. Onaway State Park encompasses 158 acres on the southeastern shore of Black Lake, a cobblestone shoreline, and large, distinctive rock outcrops. Rockport State Recreation Area preserves the remains of a 300-acre limestone quarry. Thompson's Harbor Natural Area contains forested dunes and interdunal depressions formed by falling lake levels. The area is also home to one of the world’s largest known populations of the endangered dwarf lake iris. Hiking, wildflower observation, nature study, photography, and wildlife observation each offer a distinct focus there.

Trails for Active and Relaxed Days

There are trails in a range of formats for planning your days. The Huron Sunrise Trail is an 11-mile paved trail system connecting Rogers City’s parks and outlying attractions. A 10-foot-wide paved trail in Hoeft State Park connects to this trail near the park entrance. In Onaway State Park, a 3-mile loop trail leads through the grounds. Rockport State Recreation Area has 8 miles of marked trails available for horseback riders.

Ocqueoc Falls can also be included in a day spent in nature. The Ocqueoc Falls Bicentennial Pathway leads from the state forest campground to the waterfalls. On site, there is a paved path from the parking area to the waterfall, accessible picnic areas, and accessible benches. Steelhead, salmon, trout, and black bass are found in the Ocqueoc River, making it possible to fish for these species there. Several walking trails in New Lighthouse Park are accessible year-round.

The Right Base for Your Stay

If you primarily want to experience lighthouses and maritime history, the seasonal opening hours and individual museum areas should be factored into your planning. For a stay focused on water, the beaches along Lake Huron, the shoreline of P.H. Hoeft State Park, and Black Lake offer several points of access. Black Lake in Cheboygan and Presque Isle Counties is an area for ice fishing for walleye, yellow perch, and lake whitefish.

Those who want to combine nature and activity can choose between short loops, paved connections, horseback-riding trails, and observation areas. Herman Vogler Conservation Area has seven miles of trails, offers cross-country skiing in winter, and has a fishing platform. Rockport Recreation Area is plowed in winter. This makes it possible to adapt your search for a vacation rental or vacation home to your preferred itinerary without having to commit to just one type of experience.

For additional orientation, you can also view Rogers City, Schoolcraft County, Emmet, Arenac County, Ontonagon County, Ingham, Alcona County, and Kent.

For the overarching travel overview: Michigan.